Incapacitated Inmate Granted Medical Parole

CORCORAN – The California Board of Parole Hearings (BPH) granted medical parole today to inmate Robert William Kimble. Inmate Kimble was referred to the Board because he met the criteria of Penal Code Section 3550. The Board determined at a hearing today at California State Prison, Corcoran, that the conditions under which inmate Kimble would be released on medical parole would not reasonably pose a threat to public safety.

Inmate Kimble is serving a 37-years-to-life sentence for first-degree murder with the use of a firearm, attempted first-degree murder with great bodily harm, assault and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with the use of a firearm. He was received by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) on February 7, 1983 from Los Angeles County.

The Board hearing transcript will serve as the official record and it will not include a discussion of his medical condition by BPH panel members. Discussion of his medical condition by other principals at the hearing, however, may be included in the transcript. The transcript is expected to be transcribed and ready in approximately 30 days.

PC Section 3550, Medical Parole, became effective on January 1, 2011. The intent of the medical parole program is to allow inmates, who are permanently medically incapacitated and require 24-hour care, to be released to community medical care, if they do not require custody supervision or pose a risk to public safety. The law prohibits inmates convicted to life in prison without the possibility of parole, or those condemned to death from eligibility for medical parole. The Board of Parole Hearings reviews cases referred by institution medical staff and determines who is suitable for release.

For more information, please refer to the Board of Parole Hearings website: http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/BOPH/index.html